


Altruism and Promises

by Cyai



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Narrator Chara, Non-Binary Chara, Non-Binary Frisk, POV Chara, POV Flowey, POV Frisk, POV Sans, Sharing a Body, Spoilers - Undertale Neutral Route, Spoilers - Undertale Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-18 13:19:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9386987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyai/pseuds/Cyai
Summary: "Why choose to be kind in an unforgiving world?"Frisk didn't expect to stumble across a secret civilization when they climbed the mountain. Nor did they expect to gain a voice in their head. The question was, how to move forward?"You can't understand how this feels."Sans never makes promises. Until one day he does, to a woman behind a door he's never met. When the time comes to make good on his promise, what does he do?"Someone has to take care of these flowers."A lonely flower lies in a self-imposed exile. When a new occurrence in the timeline arrives on his doorstep, he knows what to do. Or does he? He didn't expect the new occurrence to remind him so much of them....





	1. A Promise Made Behind A Door

Sans lay back against the purple door, watching the winter breeze leave snowflakes against the wooden bridge that Papyrus had built wide wooden bars around. He looked up and watched the snowflakes spiral down, almost gracefully. He sighed. Papyrus would most likely be coming to check on him and his puzzle re-calibration soon. He knocked on the purple door again.

“Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?” A voice answered from the other side. Sans smirked.

“Who.”

“Who who?” The voice replied.

“Hang on.” Sans stood up and paused. “I think there’s an owl somewhere.”

The voice laughed from the other side of the door, but Sans could tell something was wrong. Her laugh was usually loud and comforting, but this time it was quiet and half-hearted. He sat back down.

“Is.. Is something wrong?”

“...”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Sans could swear he heard sobs from the other side of the door.

“If a human ever comes through this door…. could you please promise me something?”

Sans’s eyelids went dark. There was the word. Promise. Sans put his hands on his head, recalling memories.

______________________________________________________________________________

_“Sans… Will everything be okay?... I don’t know anymore….”_

_“You’ve been trying so hard, isn’t that what’s important?”_

_“… You didn’t answer the question…”_

_“... I promise you, everything will be okay….”_

_“Thanks Sans… It means a lot to me.”_

____________________________________________________________________________

“Watch over them, and protect them... will you not?”

Sans drew in a deep breath. He should say “no”, right? So why was he hesitating? He didn’t make promises anymore. Not after what happened last time. He didn’t even make promises to his own brother. So why, did he want to so badly say “yes”?

Sans recalled the first time he met the voice behind the door. He was practicing knock knock jokes on the door to pass time, when the voice answered from the other side. When he delivered his first joke, the voice howled with laughter, like it was the best joke she heard in over a hundred years. He sat by the door for hours, telling jokes, until the voice delivered a joke of her own, making him laugh for what seemed like hours. Now? Her laugh seemed broken, disconnected. It hurt Sans to hear the sobs coming from the other end of the door. Sans took a deep breath. Sans knew he couldn’t say “no”.

“I promise.”

“Thank… you.”

Sans heard somebody stand up on the other side of the door.

“I have to go now…”

“I understand.”

Sans stood up again and returned to his post. He took out a bottle of ketchup and starting drinking. What had he gotten himself into, making that promise? He should have said no. So why didn't he? 

“SANS?”

Sans looked up at his brother staring down at him.

“Hey Paps.”

“ARE YOU… ACTUALLY AT YOUR POST FOR ONCE? INSTEAD OF HANGING AROUND?”

“Yup. That’s me. Decided to be more like my cool brother and take responsibility seriously.”

“WOWIE! GUESS THAT’S SETTLED THEN! SOON ONE DAY YOU MIGHT BE AS GREAT AS ME! NYEH HEH HEH!”

“As great as the Great Papyrus? Nah, I could never be that great.”

“YOU ARE OF COURSE, 100% CORRECT! BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU CANNOT BE SECOND-GREATEST IN THE UNDERGROUND! NYEH HEH HEH!”

“Papyrus?”

“YES SANS?”

“Theoretically, what would you do if given a choice between letting your friend down or breaking your own rules?”

“...WHERE’S THIS COMING FROM?”

“I’m just curious.”

“WELL! AS A PERSON WITH MANY FRIENDS SPEAKING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE! I CAN SAY WITH UTMOST CERTAINTY! THAT THE CORRECT CHOICE IS TO BREAK YOUR OWN RULES! WHATEVER THEY MAY BE.”

Sans stared, shocked. That wasn’t the answer he was expecting from Papyrus.

“And why is that?”

“WELL LETTING A FRIEND DOWN, IS SOMETHING THAT’S NOT NICE. IF YOU HAVE THE CHOICE TO MAKE YOUR FRIEND FEEL BETTER, IS THAT NOT WORTH SOME SACRIFICE? AFTER ALL, I HAVE PLENTY OF GREATNESS TO SPARE.”

Sans laughed.

“I DON’T GET IT. WHERE’S THE JOKE?”

“Sorry, your statement really just… tickled my funny bone!”

“SAAAAAAAAAAANS!”

“I guess you can say it resonated in my bones!”

“UGH!!!”

“Come on, let’s go home. It’s snow joke that the ice gets real slippery around this time of day!”

“WHY SANS!?!? I THOUGHT WE WERE FINALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE!”

“Here grab my hand, I know a shortcut.”

Sans took his brother’s hand and walked towards the treeline.

______________________________________________________________________

_“TO MAKE YOUR FRIEND FEEL BETTER, IS THAT NOT WORTH SOME SACRIFICE?”_

_______________________________________________________________________

Sans smiled just a little bit more.

“It always is, Paps, it always is….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: As edited spacing and added a few lines to this chapter.


	2. Sunlight and Shadows

Frisk awoke with a gasp. Their heart beat rapidly as they sat up and they groaned, their head hurting. Frisk was confused. Where were they? Suddenly it came to them. Climbing Mt. Ebott. Entering a cave in the mountain to hide from the rain. Examining the hole in the ground, covered by vines.

Frisk looked up and saw sunlight streaming through the hole they jumped through. Sunlight? How long had they been unconscious for? Frisk lifted their hands and felt the warmth of the sun’s rays on their skin.

_I never get tired of this feeling..._

Frisk lay back down and basked in the sunlight for a little while, savoring every moment. They lay peacefully in the bed of golden flowers, lost in thought. Was this their fate?

Suddenly, a butterfly flew past their face, flying deeper into the cavern. Frisk sat up, curious, and observed the butterfly glide gently into the ash gray gate supported by two Doric style columns. A mysterious symbol, containing what seemed to be the wings of an angel, marked the head of the gate. Frisk got to their feet and went to explore the cavern, leaving the warm sunlight behind. A gentle breeze blew red leaves past their feet. As they stepped through the mysterious gate, a voice rang out ahead of them.

“Howdy! I’m Flowey! Flowey the Flower!”

Frisk jumped, before drawing their stick out and pointed it at the talking flower. The flower smiled.

“Hmmm… You’re new to the underground, aren’tcha? Golly, you must be so confused.”

_The underground?_

Frisk nodded their head slowly.

“Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!”

Frisk gasped as a red light pulsed within their chest, making the shape of a heart.

“See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being! Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain lots of LV.”

Frisk drew their stick back, listening carefully to Flowey.

“What’s LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course!”

Frisk narrowed their eyes. That sounded absolutely stupid. Was this flower for real?

“You want some LOVE, don’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll share some with you!"

Flowey winked and created five rotating pellets above his head. Frisk stared at the pellets. Was that magic?

“Down here, LOVE is shared through… Little white friendliness pellets.”

Frisk was convinced that the flower was lying now. Little white friendliness pellets? The pellets above Flowey’s head certainly looked nothing like friendliness. Frisk was also sure that Flowey’s smile wasn’t real either.

“Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!”

Flowey sent the pellets travelling slowly towards Frisk. Frisk calmly sidestepped them and watched as they all whizzed past.

“Hey buddy you missed them. Let’s try again okay?”

Flowey created five more pellets and sent them on a collision course towards Frisk. Frisk stepped to the right and watched the pellets fly past them once again. Frisk watched as Flowey stopped smiling.

“Is this a joke? Are you braindead? Run. Into. The. Bullets!!! Uh.. Friendliness Pellets!”

Frisk dodged the pellets again.

“Whoops, looks like I accidentally avoided them again. What a shame!” Frisk smirked.

Flowey’s face twisted into a demonic smile. Frisk drew their stick again, brandishing it like a sword. Flowey’s voice changed into a demonic tone.

“You know what’s going on here, don’t you? You just wanted to see me suffer.”

Frisk gasped as a gigantic circle of pellets surrounded them within a matter of seconds. Frisk gripped tightly on the stick as they closed in, aiming directly for their ‘soul’.

“ **Die.** ”

Flowey laughed demonically as the pellets drew closer and closer, until suddenly the pellets flashed green and seemed to restore Frisk’s well-being. Flowey’s face suddenly became confused, before a fireball materialized to the left of him and hit him directly in the face, uprooting him and causing him to fly off in the opposite direction. Frisk giggled before she saw a tall goat-like creature take Flowey’s place.

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor innocent youth…”

Frisk brandished their stick like a sword in front of them once more.

“Ah, do not be afraid, my child.”

Frisk slowly put the stick down. If the creature in front of them had dealt with Flowey with just a single fireball, they really didn’t want to anger them.

“I am Toriel, caretaker of The Ruins.”

“What ruins?”

“The Ruins is the name of the place you are currently in. Now, I pass through this place everyday to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time.”

“You mean there have been others?”

Toriel blinked and looked down before responding: “Not many.”

Frisk looked down guiltily. They could guess why.

“Come. I will guide you through the catacombs. This way.”

Toriel turned around and walked through a purple gate that was identical to the ash gray gate that they passed through earlier. Frisk followed her, curious about ‘The Ruins and The Underground’.

Frisk stepped through the gate and found themselves in a purple colored room with leaves scattered around and white gray stairs leading up to a door. Frisk followed Toriel before noticing a blinking yellow star shining brightly among the leaf piles. Curious, Frisk touched the star and felt a tranquil feeling that cleared their mind while also gave them a refined resolve to continue onward.

_*  The shadow of the ruins looms above, filling you with determination._

“Who’s there?” Frisk asked.

Nobody responded. Frisk paused before following Toriel through the purple door.

“Welcome to your new home, innocent one. Allow me to educate you in the operation of The Ruins.”

Toriel stepped on four pressure pads, then pulled a switch down, opening the door ahead of them.

“The Ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them.”

Toriel wandered into the next room. Frisk took the time to examine the gray sign in front of them. It appeared to be written in a strange runic language.

_* Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both not walk the middle road._

“Who are you?”

* _Does it matter?_

“It matters to me if there’s a voice in my head!”

_* Well when you put it that way… I suppose you can call me Chara._

“Chara? That’s a nice name. My name is Frisk.”

Chara laughed quietly.

“Hey! Frisk is a nice name.”

* _It’s not that. It’s just… Somebody said those exact words to me a long time ago…_

“Well, I meant what I said. So… why are you in my head?”

* _I do not know why I have been awoken. Maybe I’m just your imagination?_

“Probably. I mean, talking flowers? Fireball shooting goat like creatures? A voice in my head is probably the last thing that would surprise me at this point.”

Chara laughed again.

“So who are you exactly?”

_* A former human. That’s all you need to know._

“If you say so.”

Frisk walked through the purple door that Toriel opened up. Toriel waved and smiled.

“To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches. Do not worry, I have labelled the ones you need to flip.”

Toriel walked across a wooden bridge that spanned over a small river filled with clear water, and waited for Frisk to follow. Frisk examined the sign in front of them. It read, ‘How to read signs’.

_What a helpful sign._

Frisk walked over to the gray tablet sign etched into the wall, frowning again at the unfamiliar runic language that was carved into the sign.

_Chara? What does this sign say?_

_* Stay on the path._

_No, what does this sign say?_

_* It says stay on the path. I’m being serious here._

_Why can’t signs be helpful? Who even makes these signs?_

_* Beats me. Maybe they make these signs because they know noisy brats like you will come investigate out of curiosity._

_Ha ha, very funny. Let’s get back to Toriel._

Frisk walked across the wooden bridge and noticed a golden switch on the purple wall. Several golden arrows pointed to the switch.

_Is this what she meant by marking the switch? I’m pretty sure this is an insult to my intelligence._

Frisk pulled the switch down and followed Toriel across another bridge. This time, Frisk saw two switches, one marked with golden arrows and one without any markings.

_Whichever switch shall I press? How am I to know?_

Chara sighed. Frisk giggled and pulled down the marked switch.

“Splendid! I am proud of you, little one. Let us move to the next room.”

Frisk followed Toriel into the next room.

_Is that a training dummy?_

“As a human living in the underground, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation.”

“You mean like that flower?”

“I suppose you can consider him an example. Personally, I have never seen him before in the ruins. Strange. Worry not though, as the process to deal with the situation is quite simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a fight.”

“Is that when my soul glows within my body?”

“That is correct. Since the soul is the essence of your being, it reacts to magic. Anyways, while you are in a fight, strike up a friendly conversation.”

“To stall for time?”

“Precisely. I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to this dummy over here.”

Frisk walked up to the dummy.

_* You encountered the Dummy._

_You make it sound like we’re in a video game._

_* Come on, you love my narration, admit it._

Frisk cleared their throat.

“A cotton heart and a button eye, you are the apple of my eye.” Frisk winked and made finger guns.

_* Oh my god. Did you just flirt with an inanimate object?_

_Toriel said stall for time. I don’t see why this doesn’t qualify._

Chara laughed.

_* Well, Toriel looks happy with you. You won! You earned 0 XP and 0 Gold!_

“Ah very good! You are very good.” Toriel said.

Toriel quickly walked into the next room.

_* I can’t believe you did that Frisk. I’m never going to forget this._

Frisk laughed before following Toriel into the next room.

“There is another puzzle in this room…. I wonder if you can solve it?”

“If you marked it like you did the last puzzle, I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

“That would probably have been a good idea. Alas, the monsters around here prefer this puzzle to stay unmarked. A huge part of their tradition, as they say.”

Toriel turned around and walked towards the puzzle. Frisk paused and gasped as a frog-like creature hopped and landed next to their feet.

_* Froggit attacks you!_

_You’re so dramatic Chara._

_* And you flirt with inanimate objects, your point is?_  

“Froggit, you’re looking cute today!” Frisk winked again.

The Froggit blushed before Toriel came over and gave it a menacing glare. The Froggit hopped away quickly.

_* Now I’ve seen everything. If I could roll my eyes I’d probably be doing that now._

_You’re no fun._

Frisk followed Toriel before pausing at the massive array of spikes.

“This is the puzzle, but…. Here take my hand for a moment.”

Frisk took Toriel’s hand as she guided them through the rows of spikes.

“Puzzles seem a bit too dangerous for now.”

“I agree. Is this really what monsters want to keep?”

Toriel laughed.

“I suppose tradition rules over everything. Come now, you have done excellently thus far.”

Frisk once again followed Toriel into another purple room.

“I have a difficult request to ask of you. I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself. Forgive me for this.”

Toriel ran off towards the end of the room. Frisk blinked.

_Does she think I’m 5 years old?_

_* With the way you act, probably._

_Well off I go, I guess._

Frisk walked down the long purple corridor, gripping their stick tightly in one hand while keeping an eye out for Toriel. Green vines filled with green leaves neatly hanged off the purple brick walls. Frisk kept walking until Toriel walked out from behind a large white Doric style column.

“Greetings my child.”

“Hi Toriel.”

“Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time. Thank you for trusting me.”

“Thank you for guiding my through the catacombs.”

“It is no problem. There was an important reason for this exercise though, which was to test your independence. I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while.”

“I understand.”

“Please remain here. It’s dangerous to explore by yourself. I have an idea. I will give you a cell phone.”

Frisk stared at Toriel. People didn’t just give out cell phones. Was Toriel planning something?

“If you have a need for anything, just call. Be good alright?”

“I will!”

Toriel turned around and walked out of the purple corridor. Frisk lay down on the polished floor, staring up at the purple ceiling. Frisk put their stick next to them and studied the ceiling pattern.

_* What are you doing?_

“Resting. This is a lot to take in.”

_* I see._

“Toriel is lying, isn’t she?”

_* What?_

“It seems too convenient. A talking flower tries to kill me, when she shows up and saves the day, and then proceeds to tell me she comes there everyday to check if humans fall down. Next, she guides me through the ruins, giving me easy puzzles, being friendly, and tests my independence. Then she gives me a free cell phone. What kind of game is she playing? People don’t just give out free cell phones. If cell phones down here are anything like the surface, I can’t imagine why she would do that. I’m a stranger after all.”

_* Toriel is good-hearted, trust me._

“And how would you know?”

_* ..._

“This all seems like a dream. Monsters. Magic. A voice in my head. Did I die on the fall down Mt. Ebott and this is just a construct my mind has envisioned that I’m exploring? How can Toriel be so nice? It doesn’t seem real. It can’t be real.”

Frisk heard Chara take a deep breath.

_* I was like you, once upon a time. I told you I was a former human. A better answer to your question would be that I was a human that once lived in the underground. Like you, I climbed Mt. Ebott. That’s why I trust you. Because you’re so much like me._

“... I don’t know what to say.”

_* Then don’t say anything. Just trust me. Toriel is not putting up an act of any kind._

“Do you promise that?”

_* ... I’m not sure what has happened after my death._

“Your… death?”

_* Of course. How would I end up in your head if I was alive?_

“So you’re a ghost. A spirit.”

_* I guess that’s what I am. I do not know how or why, but I’m stuck with you now._

Frisk sighed.

“I don’t know what to think anymore. Are you real, Chara? You’re not just a voice in my head?”

_* I promise you I’m real. I think I would know if I was somebody’s imagination._

Frisk laughed at Chara’s comment, before standing up.

“I suppose we should go exploring. You know the way around?”

_* Not as well as Toriel, but I suppose we’ll manage._

“So what are we now? You’re some kind of narrator and I’m the protagonist trapped in an unfamiliar environment?”

_* You’re the protagonist? A child who flirts with inanimate objects and frogs? I don’t think so._

Frisk put the cellphone in their pocket and picked their stick up off the ground.

“You better believe it.” Frisk winked. “Let’s go exploring.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second chapter, thank you for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy the story thus far.
> 
> Edit: Chara's dialogue is now italicized and marked with a *.
> 
> Edit 2: Fixed Spacing Issues + Changed Toriel's Dialogue.


	3. A Place Called Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> During this chapter, I will be skipping through the ruins, since I'm sure many people have viewed this dialogue before. It wasn't my intention to create a novelization of the game, so I'm just highlighting the important parts of Frisk's journey through the ruins. Enjoy!

Frisk’s phone rang in their pocket. Frisk pulled it out and stared at the phone.

_* You should probably answer that, Frisk._

Frisk pressed the answer button and held the phone up to their ear.

“Hello? This is Toriel. You have not left the room, have you? There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to try and solve them yourself. Be good, alright?”

The cell phone clicked as Toriel hung up. Frisk remained silent for a few seconds, before walking forward.

_Is it just me or is Toriel being… What’s the word… Overprotective? I really want to trust her Chara. I really do, but I just can’t._

_* I know what it feels like. You have this feeling of confliction, and you are unsure what path to take. I felt that feeling for months, and it hurt the people I cared about deeply. Don’t make the same mistake as me, Frisk. You don’t want to follow in my footsteps._

_I’m guessing you don’t want to talk about it._

_* …_

Frisk turned as the Froggit from earlier suddenly croaked and beckoned them over. Frisk complied, and went over to speak with the Froggit.

“Ribbit. Ribbit. Excuse me human. I have some advice for you about battling monsters. If you act a certain way or fight until you almost defeat them… They may not want to battle you anymore. If a monster does not want to fight you, please… Use some mercy. human. Ribbit.”

Frisk blinked.

_Did that frog really say all of that?_

Chara laughed quietly, before replying: _* Indeed he did._

“You are a very wise frog.”

“Ribbit. Thank you human.”

“If I may ask, you are the frog that hopped up to me earlier, are you not?”

“Ribbit. You would be correct in that assumption.”

“If that is the case, then why would you battle me before giving me this advice?”

“To test what kind of person you may be. Ribbit. Not many people know what humans look like, but I know they look like because I saw the last human that wandered through the ruins.”

“And what happened to the human who passed through here?”

“Ribbit. Truthfully, I do not know what transpired past the Ruins. All that I know is that he left the ruins. Ribbit.”

“He? Did you know the human well?”

“I did not know him well. I was informed by my cousins that he hurt quite a few monsters.”

Frisk and Chara simultaneously took a deep breath.

“And why would... he do that?”

“Ribbit. He witnessed a lonely monster get bullied by other monsters, so he decided that the bullies deserved to be punished through violence. He took justice into his own hands, to say the least. Ribbit. He was always a vigilant one, constantly on watch for things that were amiss.”

_I don’t know to call that noble or vengeful…_

_* Well I think it was noble. Bullies are the worst of the worst._

“Well thank you for informing me. Is there anything you can tell me about Toriel?”

“Ribbit. Not much, we’re all too intimidated to talk to her. She is a decent caretaker at least.”

“Thanks again!”

“It was my pleasure human. Ribbit.”

_* That was an informative conversation._

_Not really. I still don’t know anything about Toriel._

_* I’m guessing I can’t change your mind?_

_No, you can’t. Sorry, Chara._

Frisk walked over the blinking yellow star that shone brightly within the square pile of red autumn leaves.

_Chara? Do you see this?_

_* I do. I however, do not know what it is or what its purpose is._

Frisk touched the star and felt the same tranquil feeling flow through them, the feeling that focused their will and gave them a feeling that they needed to continue.

_Did you feel that? It’s like a healing star…_

_* I feel it, it’s like a powerful, calming, focused feeling that fills us with determination._

_Let’s continue onward then._

___________________________________________________________

“That rock was rude! I didn’t even know rocks could talk!”

_* Maybe you just, rocked his world!_

Frisk laughed.

“I didn’t know you made puns!”

_* What can I say? I’m just naturally a very punny person._

Frisk laughed again before hearing what seemed to be a person saying the letter z over and over. They looked ahead of them and saw a white ghost laying a pile of red leaves.

_Is that ghost pretending to sleep by saying the letter z? He does know that isn’t how it works, right? ...Chara?_

_* What? Oh, yeah apparently not._

Frisk walked up to the ghost, curious.

“Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…. (are they gone yet)....zzzzzzzzzz”

“No, I’m still here. You’re.. Uh.. blocking the way.”

Frisk felt their soul glow within their chest once more.

_* Here comes Napstablook._

_Do you know him?_

_* I’ve seen him a few times. He’s good-willed, but he looks sad right now, maybe you just need to cheer him up?_

Frisk patiently smiled and waved at Napstablook.

“Heh….”

Magical acidic tears ran down from Napstablook’s eyes, hitting Frisk in their arm. Frisk yelped and dodged the rest of the tears.

_That really stings!_

“It’s good to see you’re keeping in good spirits!”

“Heh heh… Really not feeling up to it right now, sorry...”

Frisk gave a wide smile and waved again.

_* Napstablook wants to show you something._

“Let me try... “

Napstablook guided his tears upwards until they manifested into a hat.

“I call it.. Dapper Blook… Do you like it?”

“Yes! It’s amazing!”

“Oh gee….”

Frisk felt the battle end as their soul stopped responding to the magic in the air.

“I usually come to the ruins because there’s nobody around… But today, I met somebody nice.”

“Likewise!”

“Oh I’m rambling again… I’ll get out of your way…”

Napstablook vanished into thin air.

_Napstablook seemed nice._

_* I guess you can say he lifted your spirits?_

Frisk laughed again.

_Come on, we have places to explore!_

_________________________________

 “A faded ribbon?”

  _* Well you can add it to the collection_

 Frisk equipped the faded ribbon, neatly tying it to their hair.

  _* Well I suppose if you look cuter, monsters won’t hit you as hard._

 “That isn’t the point of fashion, Chara…. Wait did you say I look cute?”

  _* … Let’s move on._

 “Well thanks anyway.”

 Frisk smiled brightly as they exited the room.

 __________________________________

“Ribbit. Ribbit. Just between you and me… I saw Toriel come out of here just a little while ago. She was carrying some groceries. I didn’t ask what they were for.”

“Thanks for the information, Froggit!”

“It is my pleasure. Ribbit.”

Frisk left the Froggit and walked through the door, only to emerge onto a balcony overlooking a massive purple city.

_Woah… What is this?_

_* Welcome to Home, former capital city of the monsters._

_What kind of name is Home?_

_* An uncreative one. Turns out the King of Monsters can’t name things to save his life._

Frisk laughed, before sitting down next to the balcony railing and gazed into the distance, staring at the vast unending buildings that lay across the city.

_* What’s that to your left?_

Frisk turned and noticed what appeared to be a knife laying on the balcony. Frisk grabbed the handle and examined the blade, which was clearly plastic. The blue hilt felt comfortable in Frisk’s hands as they spun the blade around.

_* Frisk?_

_Yeah?_

_* I think.. The ribbon and the toy knife… Belong to a human…_

_What makes you so sure?_

_* Monsters don’t play with knives, they play with magic. A monster would never get their child a toy knife._

Frisk brought the blade close to their eyes, further examining the gray, dull, plastic blade. Several dents were made in the tip of the blade, as if somebody had purposefully carved those spots out.

_Chara? I think you’re right. This blade definitely looks like something a child like me would have. Do you know why these items would be here?_

_* Perhaps they were left by the humans that passed through._

_If this toy knife was as important to them as my stick is important to me, I find that highly unlikely._

_* You haven’t told me more about your stick, actually._

_..I’ll talk about it later._

Frisk wandered out back the way they came, passing by the lone froggit, and stepped across what appeared to be a red leaf pile in the shape of cross. Frisk wondered if one of the former humans had organized the leaf pile that way, and Toriel maintained it. Frisk thought about the situation before jumping upon hearing Toriel’s voice. Toriel quickly rushed over to them.

“How did you get here my child? Are you hurt? There, there, I will heal you.”

Frisk felt a feeling of warmth rush through their body, and they relaxed as they felt rejuvenated by Toriel’s healing magic.

_* Feels nice, doesn’t it?_

“I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try and surprise you like this. Err… Well I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small one!”

Toriel rushed off in the other direction quickly, passing by a dark, black tree surrounded by leaves. Frisk shivered at the sight of the night black tree. It gave off an eerie ominous aura that made Frisk uncomfortable.

_* Every time this old tree, grows any leaves, they fall right off. Tragic, is it not?_

_So what is the purpose of the tree?_

_* You’ll have to ask Toriel yourself._

Frisk touched the vibrant sunlight colored star on the way into Toriel’s cute orderly house, once again feeling the renewed feeling of determination. Toriel smiled and greeted them as they stepped inside.

“Do you smell that? Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie! I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie tonight. Here, I have another surprise for you!”

Frisk followed Toriel as she led them down a vibrant hallway, until they stopped at a yellow door.

“A room of your own. I hope you like it!”

Frisk froze solid as Toriel patted them on the head.

“Is something burning...? Um… Make yourself at home!”

Toriel sped off in the other direction. Frisk remained still, staring at the yellow door with an emotionless expression. Frisk felt something itch within their chest, and they started to breathe heavily. Was someone calling their name?

_* Frisk!_

Frisk jumped back, swallowing hard and gasping. They sat down on the yellow and brown carpet, continuing to stare at the yellow door. They sat unmoving, ignoring Chara’s calling.

_I don’t understand… why… why is she being so nice to me?_

_* Frisk, snap out of it!_

Frisk ran. They ran back past the tree devoid of hope, past the leaf pile cross, and past the lonely Froggit until they reached the balcony that overlooked the former capital city of the kingdom of monsters, Home. They sat down and once again stared at the buildings in the distance.

_* Frisk?_

_Chara… I don’t deserve this…_

_* Frisk…_

_… Leave me alone Chara…_

_* Frisk, I haven’t known you very long. But running away doesn’t solve anything._

_You don’t know me._

_* Frisk, you’re the kindest human I’ve ever met._

_That isn’t true._

_* You could have chosen to kill any of the monsters you came across. Yet, when they engaged a battle with you, you chose mercy. I can’t say I would ever have made the same decision in your situation._

_That doesn’t make me a good person._

_* Frisk, stop._

Frisk slammed their fist down and laughed like a broken record. Chara flinched at the tone. Frisk stopped laughing and began to speak in a somber tone.

“It’s an act. I know it is. Just like those other times.”

_* … Frisk…_

_Get out of my head!_

_* I can’t. We’re bound together now. And I’m telling you to stop._

_Stop what? It’s the truth._

_* Stop lying to yourself!_

Frisk felt themselves shaking as tears formed in their eyes.

_I… I…_

_* Frisk. This isn’t an act. This is real. Monsters are nice, loving, and compassionate beings that are nothing like the pathetic wretches on the surface. You’re so compassionate as well, you remind me of monsters. Now, I don’t understand why I was brought back to life. But I don’t regret waking up with somebody like you._

_Chara...._

Frisk paused to wipe the tears from their eyes.

_...Do you mean it?_

_* I do._

“Nobody’s ever wanted me before…”

Chara growled and winced as if they were recalling painful memory.

_* Those disgusting whelps can’t touch you down here. You’re free, Frisk. You don’t ever have to go back._

Frisk starting sobbing again. Chara stayed silent as Frisk let their emotions out. Eventually Frisk calmed themselves down and stood up, staring intently at the stick they had brought into the underground. Once, the stick had been the only thing they felt they could rely on. Now, they had Chara.

_Chara...  I'm sorry... Thank you so much…_

_* Don’t mention it. The world up there is unforgiving, and the demons up there are even worse. I hated it up there. I don’t miss anything about it._

_If I miss anything, I suppose it would be the warmth of the sunlight. I used to cherish the few moments of solitude I had in the sun greatly. It made me feel like I belonged there._

_* You can still see sunlight in the underground, it’s just rarer. Don’t worry Frisk._

Frisk genuinely smiled at Chara’s comment, before putting their stick away and looking back out at Home.

_* By the way, Toriel’s probably worried sick._

_Oh shoot. How long was I gone?_

_* A few minutes?_

Frisk tried to process what Chara was saying.

_Toriel would be worried sick over me being missing for a few minutes?_

_* I’ll take a while for you to get used to it._

_I trust you Chara. I’m going to ask Toriel about staying with her._

_* The Toriel I know would never dream of refusing you._

_Then I’ll confront her about it._

Frisk retraced their steps back to Toriel’s house, and knocked on the door. In an instant, the door flew open revealing a concerning Toriel. She gasped and wrapped Frisk in a giant hug. Frisk squeaked in surprise before hugging Toriel back.

“Oh my child, I was so worried about where you had gone.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why did you wander off like that?”

“... Are you… Can I really… stay with you in the Ruins?”

“Of course you can, my child. I am very sorry if that was not clear.”

“Thank you… Thank you… Thank you…”

Frisk started crying in Toriel’s arms. Toriel hugged them tighter and patted them on the back.

“What is your name, my child?”

“Frisk…”

“That is a wonderful name, Frisk.”

“Thanks Mom…”

Toriel blinked in confusion.

“Did you just call me… Mom? Well I suppose… Would that make you happy?”

“It would mean the world to me…”

“Then you may call me whatever you like. Would you like to see your room and have butterscotch cinnamon pie?”

“Yes… please…”

Frisk brightly smiled as Toriel led them into the house, holding their hand. Frisk politely chatted about their journey through the ruins while eating pie with Toriel, to which Toriel seemed happy with. After finishing their slice of butterscotch cinnamon pie, Frisk yawned, which Toriel noticed immediately. Toriel brought Frisk over to their new room to lay them in bed, where they smiled and thanked Toriel once again. As Toriel left the room, a familiar voice rang out in their head.

_* What did I tell you?_

_I’m sorry for not trusting you earlier, Chara…_

_* It’s okay. I was in your situation for a long time. I am glad that you were able to break out faster than I ever could._

_Once again though, thank you, Chara._

_* Thank you, Frisk._

As Frisk drifted off to sleep, they felt genuinely happy, for the first time in what seemed to be an eternity. The sunlight and their stick brought them joy, and playing with monsters in the Ruins was fun, but the happiness they felt with Toriel and Chara was special and unique. They hoped that things could be this way forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here marks the beginning of canon divergence. Thanks for reading!


	4. Truth and Calling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We see through a new person's point of view, and return to an old person's point of view in this chapter. Enjoy!

Flowey was confused for the first time in a long time.

Before, he had grown tired of the world around him. Tired of the people, tired of the places, and tired of trying in general. But after spending a long time in exile in the Ruins, and letting time pass naturally, a human child fell right onto his doorstep.

At first, he was excited at the possibility of something new to play with in this world. But he got too excited. Too arrogant. Thousands of resets had taught him nothing but carelessness. He toyed with the human, trying to trick them into gaining some “LOVE”. When he saw their bright red soul, he was shocked as it reminded him of Chara. Yet, his mistake was assuming the human was stupid. Chara was always one step of ahead, and it only made sense for somebody with the same soul color to be similarly intelligent. Of all the things to happen in the confrontation though, getting hit by Toriel in the side was something he could not have predicted. But it didn’t matter, right? He’d just reload his save point, and try again.

Except, it didn’t work.

And so he laughed to himself. And laughed. And laughed.

He figured it out almost instantly. Alphys had used a fraction of determination from each of the 6 human souls to revive him from death without a soul. So of course, a live human would have more determination than him. He no longer held the power to reshape the world at his will. Their arrival took the power from him.

So he became obsessed with the human child, following them around the ruins. At first, he felt sick about how friendly they were with the monsters in the ruins. Didn’t they know it was kill or be killed? All the signs pointed to no. And yet….

Flowey noticed how the human was holding up a false front. A false smile, just like that smiley trashbag that Papyrus called a brother. Of course, that didn’t matter to him at first. He saw new possibility and opportunity. He could use the human to lure out the human souls Asgore kept hidden away.

Throughout many resets, he’d tried numerous ways to try and convince Asgore to show him the human souls. Reveal himself as Asriel. Killing Undyne and Alphys. Threatening Asgore’s life. Promising him the location of Toriel. Destroying the throne room. But despite everything, Asgore refused every time. It infuriated Flowey to no end. But he knew that Asgore would have to reveal the human souls if a human came to his doorstep.

When the human broke down after seeing Toriel’s kindness however, he felt something different. Respect? Recognition? Pity? He didn’t know. So of course, he became curious. He watched the human run out of Toriel’s house onto the balcony overlooking the barren city of Home. But what shocked him most was when they started talking to themselves.

_“It’s an act. I know it is. Just like those other times.”_

_“Nobody’s ever wanted me before…”_

Flowey was stunned upon hearing those words. But more importantly, he was shocked at how much of Chara he saw within the human. The same color soul. The same attitude towards family. The same painful surface memories. A similar false front.

But at heart, he was deeply confused. At the end of the day, the human showed kindness towards everyone, even towards the idiotic Migosps. He didn’t understand. Why were they being so nice to everyone? Surely they of all people knew the world was kill or be killed.

He didn’t understand. He just couldn’t understand.

Why choose to be kind in an unforgiving world?

Kindness made you weak. Kindness made you suffer. Kindness got you killed. There was no place for Kindness in this world. So why? Why were they being so nice?

And so Flowey found himself watching over Chara’s grave. The place that he never got tired of. The place he chose to make his self-imposed exile. He didn’t understand why, but he still missed Chara despite the hundreds of resets that he traveled through. It wasn’t fair. He came back, but Chara didn’t.

And so the lonely flower, illuminated by the moonlight peeking through the hole in the mountain and surrounded by the golden flowers from the surface, called to Chara. To his best friend.

…

But nobody came.

_________________________________________________________

Sans walked across the wooden bridge and past the wide bars that had fallen into disrepair recently. He carefully trudged through the snowy path that cut through the barren woods, making sure to step over the large stick that had recently fallen into the path. He stopped and gazed at the large purple door outlined by two identical purple pillars, before his eyes caught once again on the delta rune that marked the head of the door. He sighed. The Delta Rune. The symbol of hope. Although lately, the monsters of the underground believed in a much darker interpretation, that an “Angel of Death” would return to the underground, and the underground would go empty.

If only the monsters knew how right they were.

With the amount of genocide that the anomaly had committed over the last few hundred timelines, it was no wonder that fragments and remnants of derelict timelines filtered through time to drain the hope of the present timeline. Hope, after all was the very culmination of monsters, one of the core aspects of their soul. Even the smallest of events, be it even ripples across time, could seriously influence a monster’s hope and therefore their soul.

He supposed, in a way that was why he kept returning to the mysterious door at the edge of the Snowdin. The door that was supposedly warded and sealed before he was even born. History told that once, monsters all lived in fear of humans, and lived in the city of Home, the city that lay behind this door.

At first, he had questioned the magic wards that had been placed upon the gate. But now? He didn’t care. Some things were better off left unexplored. Predictability and stability emerged from tradition, and indeed he continued the tradition of knocking on the door. It gave him another light in his life, after all.

So following in the footsteps of previous days, Sans walked over to the purple door, temporarily disabling Alphys’s security camera in the bush on the way. He took a deep breath and once again knocked on the large purple door.

“Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Orange.”

“Orange who?”

“Orange you glad I came to knock on this door today?”

The lady behind the door laughed. Sans sat down and leaned against the door, relaxing.

“Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Avenue.”

“Avenue who?”

“Avenue knocked on this door before?”

Sans chuckled.

“Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“A herd.”

“A herd who?”

“A herd you were home, so I came over!”

The lady on the other side of the door howled with laughter before proceeding to knock again.

“Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Adore.”

“Adore who?”

“Adore is between us, that’s why I’m knocking.”

Sans laughed. He never grew tired of sitting by the purple door, telling jokes.

“You seem to be in a good mood today.”

“And strangely, so do you.”

“Finally recalibrated all of the puzzles my brother’s been asking me to recalibrate. It’s not actually part of the job description, which is why I normally don’t recalibrate puzzles, but my brother’s a big fan of our monster tradition and our puzzle making roots. He was down in the dumps recently, but I think me recalibrating all those puzzles cheered him up. Made me and my brother a little happier today.”

“Oh, is your brother a puzzle enthusiast? We have plenty of those in the ruins.”

“He’s not just any puzzle enthusiast, he’s the puzzle enthusiast of Snowdin. He set up and repaired many of the puzzles around here, as part of respecting our roots, or so he puts it. I don’t exactly share his passion for puzzles, but I enjoy seeing him take pride in puzzle making.”

“The puzzles of the ruins are a funny thing. Some of them are very dangerous, yet monsters insist on keeping them that way. I fail to see how these traditions are a helpful asset to our community.”

“Funny you mention that, actually the king recently issued a mandate on puzzles recently. He declared that he believed spikes to ineffective and hazardous for kids.”

“Is that so.”

Sans could swear he heard hints of resentment and anger in the lady’s tone. He guessed that King Asgore was a sore spot for the people of the Ruins.

“But that’s not important. How was your day today?”

“A human fell into the ruins today.”

“What?!”

Sans nearly choked in surprise. As far as his notes detailed, another human was a new occurrence in the timeline. Of course, a new human meant another anomaly. He had a severe mistrust of anomalies after the last one. He’d always wondered what happened when one anomaly entered the domain of another anomaly. What decided which anomaly held the power to reshape the world? The science of time anomalies could wait though. Sans had to prepare to deal with a new anomaly in the mix.

“A human child. They traversed through most of the ruins by themselves, and from what I hear from the nearby monsters, they showed kindness and mercy to every single one.”

“...”

“Do you remember the promise you made to me?”

“If a human ever comes through this door, watch over them and protect them. I think about that promise every day.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Because promises are a sore subject for me.”

“Is it okay for me to ask why?”

Sans sighed. He had trusted the voice behind the door with many more important subjects, so why stop now?

“Once upon a time, a skeleton made a promise. That promise gave hope. That promise brought two people closer together. But that promise never came to fruition. And thus the false hope was shattered.”

“...I am very sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. It happened a long time ago.”

“I suppose it is only fair to tell you a story about myself as well.”

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested.”

“Once upon a time, a lady thought she knew someone. She thought she could trust the person closest to her. But one day, that trust was twisted beyond repair. And no reconciliation attempts could ever change it. And so the lady ran. Away from the pain. Away from the life she had known. Back to the Ruins. To the city where the hopes and dreams of monsters was ignited. There she stayed, in solitude. She clung onto the former hopes and dreams of monsters, but as time passed, they left her again and again. Until a new hope showed up, telling bad jokes through a door, filling her with newfound joy.”

Sans blushed.

“That… means a lot to me.”

“I should have told you that sooner. It feels as if a large weight has been taken off my chest.”

“Likewise. I suppose I should finish my story.”

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested.”

Sans smiled a tiny bit more.

“You know, they say imitation is the highest form of flattery.”

“Perhaps that was my intention all along.”

“Well. You asked for it.”

“...”

“And so the skeleton clung onto his only light in a world of darkness; his younger brother. He moved forward for his brother’s sake, and slowly let go of the past as time continued onward. The skeleton began to regain hope. Until one day, an unexpected event arose, destroying the hope he had regained over the years. And so the skeleton began to once again cling to his only light in a world of darkness. Then one day, he chose to knock on a purple door in the middle of nowhere. Practicing jokes. He didn’t expect anything. Until a voice called from the other side to him. And suddenly the skeleton had two lights in his life.”

“It makes me happy to know that you were as much a joy to me as I was to you. I don’t suppose I could know the name of who I’m talking to, could I?”

“Sans. Sans the skeleton. And you?”

“Toriel. Caretaker of the ruins.”

“Learning our names has been a long time coming, hasn’t it?”

“Indeed it has. I would like to personally thank you, Sans, for being a joy in my life of solitude.”

“And I would like to thank you, Toriel, for being my second light in a world of darkness.”

“I have to go check on the human right now. Thank you for listening to me.”

“I guess I’ll see you later then, at the usual time tomorrow?”

“If I’m not preoccupied with caretaking, then yes.”

“See you later, Toriel.”

“Farewell, Sans.”

Sans carefully listened as Toriel stood up and walked away from the door, her footsteps growing quieter as time went on, until he no longer heard any sound. Sans slowly pushed himself up and went over to re-enable Alphys’s security camera.

After fixing the camera, Sans calmly opened a shortcut back to his personal lab. He wanted to double check a number of things. He carefully analyzed his most recent notes. None of them mentioned a human. He sighed. It seemed he had a lot of real work to do.

He wondered if he’d ever told Toriel that story before. Or if they’d learned each other’s names before. After all, Sans didn’t keep any record of relationships or friendships in his notes. It hurt too much to know what life could have been without resets. Sans just kept the bare knowledge within his notes.

Sans made a shortcut to the house’s kitchen, and starting making coffee. It had been a long time since he had made coffee. Papyrus would probably be proud of him if he was here, but at the moment he was still training with Undyne.

After the coffee was finished, Sans gulped it down quickly and teleported back to the lab. He made sure to detail the events that had happened today.

‘Entry 4.001: A new anomaly has arrived today, in the form of a human. The human has fallen into the ruins. Objective:’

Sans sat calmly, puzzled. What was his objective? Befriend the anomaly? That didn’t seem to go over well for the last one. Well. He knew he had to be much more careful than before. The last anomaly had taught him well.

‘Objective: Approach with caution and observe. Befriend them if circumstances are right.’

‘Entry 4.002: The flower anomaly still persists. Evident by Papyrus informing me indirectly about a flower who tells him predictions. It is currently unknown what the effects of two anomalies in the same domain are. Does one overpower the other? Do they cancel each other out? Only time will tell.’

‘Objective: Investigate the flower anomaly discreetly. Determine the new motives of the flower anomaly and determine what role the new anomaly play in the flower’s game.’

Sans closed the journal before putting it away in one of the drawers in his lab. The next step was to go see Alphys to see if he could borrow some equipment from the True Lab.

_Human. I don’t know what to make of you. But I know as long as you do what’s in your heart, I believe you can do the right thing._

_…_

_Don’t make me regret placing faith in you._

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Mirrors and Bounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to post Chapter 5 today since I wrote Chapter 4 and 5 side by side. Don't expect daily updates, this is a lovely exception. Enjoy!

_ * Frisk, I don’t think this is a good idea… _

_ Relax. I’ve climbed many things before, I’m not about to fall now. _

Chara watched Frisk slowly climb down the from the balcony that overlooked the city of Home. They watched, concerned, as rock shards crumbled from the purple wall that had fallen into disrepair over the years. Chara froze at a concerning realization. 

Chara should have caught on sooner, they knew that for sure. The room with the golden flowers no longer had the large white pillars that they fell in between many years ago. Vines and moss, clearly years old, were evident in large cracks in the violet walls and pillars that formed the Ruins and the city of Home. Of course, those vines were left there on purpose many years ago, and gave a nice outlook to the somewhat dull purple walls that enclosed the entire ruins. But now, the vines and newly formed moss had run out of control.

And the city of Home looked like it had been abandoned for much longer than just a few years. Whole buildings had collapsed, and many roofs were either cracked or had collapsed inwards. They wished they could take a closer look at the extensive damage that the test of time had inflicted upon the once bustling city of Home. Just how long since their death had it been?

Suddenly, Chara caught onto a second startling realization. They weren’t looking through Frisk’s point of view anymore, but rather had free control over wherever they chose to look. Chara looked down. Spectral hands flickered in and out of existence. Were they becoming a ghost? 

_ Ahhhh! _

Chara looked over in alarm as Frisk screamed, their hands and feet slipping off the large purple wall. 

_ * Frisk! _

Frisk landed with a large thud on the ground below. They groaned in response and put a hand to their hand. Chara suddenly felt a pulling feeling guiding them towards Frisk. They were well and truly bound it seemed. Chara quickly examined the damage from what they could see, which was no apparent injuries. 

_ Chara, am I hallucinating, or are you a ghost right now? _

_ * Frisk! Are you okay? _

_ I’ve had worse falls before. I was nearly to the bottom when I slipped up anyway. _

“Golly. Look at you.”

Chara and Frisk both turned to see Flowey smiling in front of them.

“What do you want, Flowey?”

Flowey grinned wider and summoned a few friendliness pellets above his head. Frisk’s eyes widened in realization as Chara continued to glare at Flowey.

“You see, I could finish what I started. After all, you’re in no condition to fight or be rescued at this very moment. Could test a number of various theories I’ve been developing. However...”

Flowey waved his leaf and made the pellets disappear above his head. Frisk and Chara both started in even greater shock.

“I’ve realized that trying to take your soul was the wrong thing to do. So in a way, I suppose you could consider this an apology.”

“Thank… you?”

Chara watched as Flowey used one of his vines to gently place a monster candy in front of Frisk. Frisk calmly picked the candy and examined it, before unwrapping the candy and placing it in their mouth. 

“I just wanted to have a nice chat with you. These weren’t the conditions I expected, but I’ll make do I suppose.”

“Can I ask why you attempted to take my soul?”

“If you want the truth, ask Toriel. Haven’t you ever questioned her strange behavior?”

“It was the first thing I questioned.”

“So what made you change your mind?”

“I… I…”

_ * Do not reveal that I’m here. Especially not to this flower. I still don’t trust him, and you shouldn’t either.  _

“I weighed the benefits and the costs, and… I took a chance.”

“Do you regret it?”

“... Not at the moment.”

Flowey seemed to contemplate Frisk’s answer for a second before speaking again.

“Froggit. Whimsun. Vegetoid. Loox. Migosp. Moldsmal. They all fought you upon first glance. Haven’t you ever questioned why?”

“I assumed it was because I was a human. Or at least, the first Froggit told me so.”

“Did he also tell you about the last human? And how they passed through the Ruins? Aren’t you curious what lies beyond the Ruins? Of what fate befell the last human?”

“Of course I’m curious. But it isn’t a huge priority.”

Chara felt disappointed hearing Frisk’s answer. After their recent discovery, they were desperate to seek knowledge of what toll time had taken upon the underground. 

“Don’t lie to me. That’s why you’re exploring this abandoned city, isn’t it? Boredom and curiosity.”

“Maybe.”

“You know the truth of this world, don’t you?”

“And what is that?”

“It’s kill or be killed. So why act differently?”

Chara studied Flowey as Frisk thought of an answer. As far as Chara knew, those golden flowers were from the surface. So did that make Flowey from the surface? If so, how did he become sentient? And why was he in the underground?

“And why should I adapt to the rules of this world? I can choose to make my own path. Following the rules of this world keeps people in a cycle that never changes.”

Flowey laughed quietly.

“So you think you’re special. You think you can play by your own rules in this world. I knew someone who thought the same thing. And now, they’re dead, as a memento of their naive idealism. That kind of thinking gets you killed. And you know it.”

Chara found themselves more confused as the conversation went on. Yet, strangely, they found themselves agreeing with the flower in more ways than one. As Chara had put it earlier, they would probably have not been so merciful to the attacking monsters. Kill or be killed. That was how the world worked. That was the way the world had always been. But strangely, hope found a way of creeping up on them. They wanted to believe that the world is different. That kindness was a valid solution to problems. But at heart, Chara knew that kindness didn’t work on the surface. Upon thinking back, they began to question Frisk’s motives. Why did a child with so much kindness climb Mt. Ebott in the first place? What made them so nice?

“So, what will you do if you meet a relentless killer? You’ll die and you’ll die and you’ll die. Until you tire of trying.”

“What do you really want, Flowey?”

Flowey grinned as Frisk stared him down.

“You’re not as stupid as you look. Like I said, if you want the truth, ask Toriel.”

“...I still don’t trust you, but I forgive you for trying to take my soul.”

Flowey’s smile dimmed and he sighed.

“I still don’t understand you. But I know you seek the truth. And I know where you can find it.”

Flowey smiled again.

“I’ll see you around, Frisk.”

As Flowey burrowed under the ground, Chara and Frisk both blinked in confusion. As far as Chara knew, Frisk hadn’t told Flowey their name.

_ How did he know my name? _

_ * Ugh, he must have been watching your talk with Toriel. That nosy flower. I still don’t trust him. _

_ Neither do I. But I appreciate his, uh, willingness to talk with me? _

_ * He has a point you know. I’m deeply curious as to what has happened after my death. Frisk what year is it? _

_ 211X, why? _

_ * … _

_ Chara? _

Chara stopped smiling and gazed into empty space before laughing. But it wasn’t funny.

_ * It’s… haha… been a hundred years! Haha…. _

_ A hundred years? _

Chara stopped laughing as they felt a new feeling wash over them. Was it desperation? Realization? 

_ * Frisk, I need to know the truth. Flowey has the right idea. I need to know the truth. You need to talk to Toriel. Right now! _

_ Chara… _

_ * I need answers, Frisk!! _

_ Chara, calm down! _

Chara laughed again. The outcome was worse than they could have possibly imagined. What would their adoptive family think of them now? And Asriel. He was gone, wasn’t he? And they had returned. Fate always had to be cruel, didn’t it? Despite everything they had. Despite a second chance at family. They destroyed it. And now they got a third chance, and Asriel didn’t even get a second. 

_ Chara… _

_ * Leave it. Frisk. Can’t you see that caring for me only gets you hurt? Flowey’s right you know. In this world, it’s kill or be killed. There’s no place for kindness in a world like that. _

Frisk flinched and looked down guiltily as if Chara’s comment had rang out too true. 

*  _ … I need some time. Take care of yourself out there. _

_ Chara, wait! _

Chara blockaded communications between themselves and Frisk temporarily. They sighed and dissolved their spectral form that they had been able to manifest. 

_ “Asriel… What did you ever deserve to have me fall onto your doorstep?” _

_ “You gave me everything. A second chance. A new family. Newfound hope.” _

_ “And what did I do with it? I shattered everything I had been given.” _

_ “I manipulated the one person who understood me in this awful world.” _

_ “And with an idiotic plan, I destroyed you, Azzy. Your irreplaceable kindness and optimistic ideals. Gone in an instant.” _

_ “And now, I’ve been resurrected in the form of a specter. Why do I get a third chance at life? And Asriel doesn’t get more than one? It isn’t fair!” _

_ “It’s only fitting that fate be this cruel. I grew up exactly what my parents expected me to be. A demon. A demon that comes when you call its name.” _

_ “All I do is destroy people. Manipulate people. Hurt people.” _

_ “Why? Why does fate have to be this cruel? I didn’t ask to come back! I didn’t want to come back! I wanted to die when I climbed Mt. Ebott. And I wanted to die when I ate those poisoned flowers.” _

_ “So why bring me back again? Why me and not him?” _

_ “I don’t deserve this. I never deserved any second chances at life!” _

_ “Why did things have to be this way?” _

_ Asriel… You’re my best friend… I need you…” _

_ “Asriel… I’m sorry….Please come back!” _

“...”

But nobody came.

_ “...” _

___________________________________________________________________________

A couple hours later, Chara was still ignoring Frisk’s attempts at communication. Frisk had stopped trying to talk Chara every few seconds, but rather tried every few minutes. Chara was both impressed and annoyed at Frisk’s sheer determination to talk to them, even after hours had passed. 

Chara sighed as they watched Frisk explore another large domed building that had fallen into disrepair over the years. They observed as Frisk grabbed a gold plated clock that was broken on the floor, before putting into their pocket. Where they scavenging?

As Frisk searched building after building, collecting various metal objects and scraps, Chara began to inquire what the purpose of Frisk’s expedition was. What did Frisk hope to accomplish with scrap metal? 

A phone ringing broke the long silence. Frisk calmly put their phone to their ear and answered the call. 

“Hello?”

“Frisk, where are you my child? I’ve been so worried!”

“I told you I was going exploring today, didn’t I?”

“But none of the monsters I’ve talked to have seen you. Where are you?”

“Exploring Home.”

“Home? Frisk, surely you know that exploring a city that has fallen into disrepair is a gigantic safety hazard! And more importantly, how did you even get there!”

“I climbed down?”

Chara could swear they heard Toriel shriek in the background.

“Oh my word…. My child that is extremely dangerous! Please come back immediately!”

“Sorry, Mom.” 

Frisk giggled.

“This is no laughing matter! You could have been seriously hurt!”

“Yes, Mom. I’m on my way now.”

“I am going to long talk with you about responsibility when you return!”

Frisk giggled again.

“Bye Mom!”

Frisk hung up the phone and started retracing their steps. Chara calmly watched as Frisk navigated the abandoned streets of Home back the way they came. 

_ Chara? _

Chara flinched. What did Frisk hope to accomplish by calling out their name every few minutes?

_ Chara, I know you’re there. And I know that sometimes, you think isolation is the only way to solve problems.  _

Chara calmly breathed in and out. Where was Frisk going with this?

_ Chara, I haven’t known you very long. But running away doesn’t solve anything. _

Chara suddenly started feeling guilty as their own words were thrown back at them. It turned out that Frisk and themselves were alike in a lot more ways than they liked to admit. 

_ Chara, answer me. I realized that I’ve taken you for granted for the few days we’ve spent together. The truth is, I need you Chara. Talking to a voice in my head has provided me with stability and reassurance. When I was in a spot of turmoil, you were the voice of reason that came to me. It’s only right that I return the favor. _

_ * Frisk.  _

Frisk jumped as Chara shouted in a monotone voice.

_ Chara… _

_ * Frisk, why did you climb Mt. Ebott? _

_ … _

_ * After all, travelers who climb Mt. Ebott are said to disappear. So answer me, Frisk. Why would you ever climb a mountain like that! _

_ Because I was running away.  _

Chara felt their spectral form re-materialize and appear in front of Frisk. They glanced at Frisk’s expression, which contained honesty and determination. They didn’t expect such an honest answer, considering what had happened earlier in the week. They frowned.

_ I thought, it might be better if I disappeared. So I climbed the mountain. And in taking shelter from the rain, I found the large hole that led to the underground. But then as I took a closer look, the rock crumbled under me. And I fell.  _

_ * Frisk… _

_ I don’t know why I didn’t disappear. But I don’t regret waking up with somebody like you. _

Chara suddenly felt a new feeling stir within themselves as Frisk repeated their own words back to them. A warm feeling. A feeling of belonging. Something they hadn’t felt since Asriel. 

_ * Frisk… Thank you. _

_ No Chara, thank you. You helped me out first. It’s only fair that I return the favor.  _

_ * Perhaps... It was destiny that chose us to be bound together. I’ve come to realize we are alike in more ways than one.  _

_ You never did answer me about the ghost question. _

_ * Oh. Well it appears I’m able to manifest as a specter if I focus. Only you can see me though, as Flowey clearly didn’t notice me. _

_ Well, it’s nice to see you for once. _

_ * Of course you would say something like that. Ugh. _

_ So what happens now? _

_ * We take Flowey’s advice. I’m not looking forward to what answers I’ll hear, but I need the truth, as Flowey put it.  _

_ You don’t have to learn the truth if you don’t want to. _

_ * I need the truth. No matter how badly I’ll be hurt by it.  _

_ I… understand. _

_ * Let’s head back. Toriel’s going to kill you, I hope you know that. _

_ It still feels weird. I’m not sure I could fully get used to this. _

_ * Time heals all wounds, Frisk. In time, I’m sure you’ll get used it much faster than I did. _

_ Would you be willing to tell me your story? _

_ * … No. I can’t. Not yet. I didn’t expect you to be so honest when I asked. _

_ It’s as I’ve said: I trust you Chara. And because of that, I’ll wait until you’re ready to tell me. _

_ * I appreciate that very much.  _

Frisk suddenly squeaked in surprise. Chara looked forward and saw the balcony that overlooked Home, lie high above them. They looked at Frisk.

_ * Please tell me you’re not going to climb again. _

_ I climbed a mountain, Chara. I’ll be fine. _

_ * That’s what you said last time! _

Chara’s protests fell on deaf ears as Frisk started climbing up again, their hands and feet locking onto holds as they scaled the purple wall. Chara watched in silence as Frisk reached the top at lightning speed, pulling themselves over the balcony railing when they arrived. 

_ Told you so.  _

_ * Hey! You fell last time! I had perfectly good reasons for you not to climb again. _

_ That wasn’t my fault, the wall just crumbled because it was old! _

_ * That’s still your fault! _

Frisk flinched. Chara’s eyes widened in realization of what they had said.

_ * I’m sorry! Frisk! I didn’t mean to say that.  _

Frisk giggled. 

_ I’m alright. It was just words. You get flustered so easily. It’s amusing. _

Chara glared at Frisk.

_ You’re so much like Toriel. I’m glad I met you. _

_ * I’m glad I met you too. Just no more climbing, okay? _

Frisk laughed as they walked back to Toriel’s house. Chara took a quick look back at Home before a tugging feeling formed in their chest, drawing them towards Frisk. They silently spoke to themselves as they watched an enthusiastic Frisk run and knock on Toriel’s door. 

_ “So much like Toriel, huh?” _

_ “If only. If you knew who I really was, Frisk, you wouldn’t be so nice to me.” _

_ “...” _

Chara watched silently as Toriel wrapped Frisk in a bear hug, muttering about safety and responsibility. 

_ “I can’t keep the truth forever. One day, you’ll learn the truth. Whether it be from my mouth or someone else’s. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you hated me, Partner.”  _

_ “Frisk… You remind me so much of him.” _

_ “...Asriel… Will I ever see you again? I hope so.” _

_ “I miss you, Azzy.” _

Chara stared in silence as a red leaf gently drifted down from the night black tree that stood at the center of the room. They attempted to grasp the leaf, only for the leaf to pass right through their spectral form. They gazed at the leaf as it gently joined its brothers on the red leaf pile below. 

_ “Soon I’ll learn the truth of what my actions have caused.” _

_ “... I don’t think I’m ready.” _

_ “But I believe it is my duty to make things right.” _

_ “Fate gave me this third chance for a reason. After all, third time’s the charm, or so the saying goes.” _

_ “I’ll make things right for you, Asriel. It’s what you would have wanted.” _

_ “Whatever it takes.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "(italics)" refers to when Chara talks with themselves, and nobody else can hear them. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Confession and Realization

Chara flashed a small smile as Frisk slowly opened their eyes and yawned.

_* Morning, sleepyhead._

_Chara? Did you not sleep?_

_* I slept fine. You slept in, silly._

_Oh._

_* It’s fine, you needed the rest._

Frisk stretched out their arms and rubbed their eyes before pulling the covers off them and sitting up slowly. They gazed over at the lamp before standing up and pulling the cord to turn it on. Frisk blinked their eyes as bright light flooded the room, trying to adjust to the new light level.

_Chara?_

_* Yes?_

_You remember what today is, correct?_

_* …  I do._

_When… No, what should I ask?_

_* Inquire about the multiple pairs of shoes in your room, or ask her about the human items we found, or perhaps ask about the last human that passed through here._

_You’ve been thinking about this for a while._

_* Ever since Flowey got me on track, I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s quite annoying actually._

_Well, hopefully that stops today, right?_

_* I don’t think so. But it will certainly help alleviate my stress._

_Then that’s a good start._

Frisk opened the door to their room and calmly strolled down the hallway, heading towards the living room. They waved as they saw Toriel sitting in her reading chair, reading a book about snails.

“Good morning, Frisk! I hope you had a good sleep.”

“I had a very nice sleep.”

“That is most excellent. Would you like to continue our arithmetic lessons today?”

“Actually… I want to talk to you about something.”

Toriel’s eyes suddenly became drained of color as she saw Frisk’s determined expression. She quickly looked to the side, as Frisk thought they saw what seemed to be recognition and pain flash in her crimson eyes. Suddenly they weren’t feeling as determined as they saw the hurt look on Toriel’s face.

_* Say I want to ask about the other humans._

_Chara.. Are you sure?_

_* Yes. Sometimes the worst action is no action at all. A world living behind a lie is no world at all._

“I... want to ask about the other humans.”

“...What other humans?”

Toriel began avoiding Frisk’s gaze, staring at the wall and the fireplace. Frisk slowly took out the toy knife and held it in their hands, presenting it to Toriel as she stared at the blade. Toriel started to reach out towards the toy knife with one paw before deciding against it, looking down in sorrow.

_* I just want to know the truth._

“I just want to know the truth.”

Chara appeared in their spectral form to the left of Frisk, analyzing Toriel. Frisk saw a sad yet determined look appear on Chara’s face as they stared back at Frisk, using their hands to indicate to Frisk to continue and listen.

“I suppose… I could not hide the truth forever.”

Frisk flinched at the morose, soft-spoken tone that sent chills down their spine. Toriel sighed and looked down at the ground.

“...Mom?”

Frisk put the toy knife away and quickly went to go hug Toriel. Toriel kept a small frown on her face as she returned the hug, gently wrapping her arms around Frisk.

“Please, promise me you’ll stay here. If I tell you the truth.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“Why?”

“...”

“I have seen it again and again. Please promise me you’ll stay.”

Toriel let go of Frisk and stood back up, turning around while looking at the fireplace mantle. Frisk gulped before answering.

“I can’t.”

“Every human that falls down here meets the same fate.”

Frisk quickly glanced over at Chara, who was now looking away in sadness. Chara turned to look at Frisk, their expression forming a mixture of desperation, determination and sadness.

_* We… agreed on this Frisk. I need to hear it. No matter how painful it is._

_Chara…_

_* Continue._

Frisk looked up at Toriel and hesitantly continued.

“And what fate… is that?”

“They come. They leave. They… die.”

Frisk stared at Toriel in shock as Chara looked away in solemn resignation.

“I don’t want to lose another. I can’t lose another. So please, Frisk. Stay here with me.”

“How did they die?”

“...The humans were killed by them…. No, by him.”

_* Oh no…_

“By Asgore.”

* _No… He wouldn’t… No no no no no…._

_Chara?_

“If you leave the ruins Frisk, Asgore… will kill you.”

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Please?”

“I only want to protect you, don’t you understand?”

“... I just want to know the truth.”

“Why?”

Frisk stared as Toriel turned around, tears in her eyes as she re-wrapped Frisk in a hug.

“Why does every child want to leave? Am I a bad mother?”

“Mom…”

Toriel let go of Frisk and quickly walked past them.

“I need a walk. Please stay here in the meantime.”

“Mom, wai-...”

But Toriel had already wandered into the basement. Frisk stared in silence before remembering Chara.

_Chara! Are you alright?_

_* …_

_Chara, talk to me._

_* I did this to her._

_… What do you mean?_

_* Toriel used to be happy. Now she’s so sad..._

_Chara, it’s been a hundred years. You couldn’t have known that this would have happened._

_* That’s not the point._

_Chara, it wasn’t your fault._

_* You don’t know what kind of person I truly am at heart, Frisk._

_I know you’re a good person._

_* What led you to that conclusion?_

_You’re right, I don’t know you very much at all. But I know you helped me in a time of need. No human has done that before._

_* Heh... I don’t understand…._

Chara looked at Frisk with a frown on their face.

_Understand what?_

_* Where does this unmeasurable kindness come from? How can you be so kind? You’re human after all… If I’m being honest, I thought of Toriel above yourself when you first had your breakdown. You, on the other hand, just choose to be kind out of the goodness of your heart. Why?_

_I choose to be kind because I don’t want anyone to experience what I’ve experienced. If I chose to follow in the footsteps of those who see the world as kill or be killed, then I’m truly no better than the people that made me this way._

_* You really are special. You’re so kind, so honest, and so brave… You didn’t deserve any of what happened to you on the surface._

_…_

_* I don’t regret waking up with you. But I feel sorry that you got stuck with somebody as broken as me._

_You’re not broken, Chara._

_* Are you kidding? Just look at me right now. This is the second talk we’ve had in the span of twelve hours. If that isn’t broken, I don’t know what is._

_I think you’re brave. When you first woke up, you didn’t scream or anything, just merely guided me. It was very noble, especially considering I was human._

_* I was mainly confused when I woke up. I spoke more with my instincts than with my mind at the time._

_You aren’t broken. You chose to face the hard truth, and it proved too much. I’m sure I would have broken down in your position as well._

_* I don’t know what I’m going to do now, Frisk._

_Be my friend, Chara._

_* This isn’t a fantasy, Frisk. You can’t win by being friends with everyone._

_But I can try._

_* You’re just so determined to have your way aren’t you?_

_Guess when I set my mind to something, I guess I’m just too ‘determined’ to let it go._

Chara giggled a little.

_* I guess only you can ‘determine’ what happens next._

Frisk laughed.

_I’m happy you’re feeling better, Chara._

_* I still can’t believe you’re the same person that flirted with a frog and a dummy._

_Well, I was just being a little ‘frisky’._

Chara laughed this time. Frisk smiled as they saw Chara smiling again.

* _So. What comes next._

_I’m not sure. I think we should give Toriel some space. I kind of pushed her. A lot._

_* No, I’m the one who pushed you to push her. Don’t blame yourself._

_Can we just accept joint blame and be done with it._

_* I- um.. Okay._

_Let’s go back to our room._

_* No, wait._

_What is it?_

_* I want to investigate Toriel’s room._

_What for?_

_* … To check on some things._

_Toriel was your adoptive mother, wasn’t she?_

Chara hissed with venom in their voice. 

_* No. She was my mother._

Frisk quickly dropped the subject. They walked the short distance in silence, staring at the water sausages as they passed them. Upon reaching Toriel’s room, they quietly opened the door and entered before closing the door behind them. They turned around and took a good look at the room. On the left side of the room was a desk with a lamp, various papers, and a journal. On the far left side of the room, there was a nice, cozy, giant bed with blue blankets. Straight ahead of them was a bookcase filled with all sorts of books. To the right of the bookcase was two giant drawers. To the right of themselves was a lone cactus in the corner.

_* It’s changed a lot since I was last here._

Frisk went over and examined the journal, reading the current entry.

_‘Why are skeletons so calm? Because nothing gets under their skin!’_

Frisk and Chara smirked at the entry before reviewing other entries.

‘ _Why did the skeleton want a friend? Because she was feeling bonely!”_

Frisk flipped through the pages. Most of them were filled with jokes of a similar caliber.

_I never knew she liked bad jokes so much._

_* I remember one time when she blocked the exit to the garden. I asked her why. She said it was because she was busy ‘garden’ the exit. I remember falling over in laughter._

Frisk smiled at Chara slowly opening up before proceeding to the bookcase.

* _Hey, that’s the history book from the living room. What’s it doing here?_

_Maybe she didn’t want us to read about it._

Frisk took the book off the shelf and opened to the bookmarked page.

‘ _Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern’s end. This was our new home, which we named… Home. As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.’_

_The barrier?_

_* Toriel didn’t want you to hear this. But I suppose you want the truth._

_I do._

_* Flip to the first chapter._

Frisk flipped to the first chapter, which was written in the same runic language that many of the stone tablets were written in.

_* I’ll translate._

Chara cleared their throat.

_* Long ago, two races over Earth: Humans and Monsters. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell._

_So monsters can’t leave the underground? Wait… Does that mean…_

_* Anything can enter, but nothing can leave._

_Well. I wasn’t intending on leaving._

_* Then why did you not promise that you would stay?_

_Because I can’t live in the Ruins forever._

_* Why not?_

_It’s only been a few days, and yet already the Ruins feels so small. Flowey was right when he described my expedition through the city of Home._

_* Frisk, you have Toriel._

_I know. She’s been so good to me. But it still doesn’t feel right. I don’t think I can grow up here. You want to find out what has happened to the underground, don’t you?_

_* Frisk, what I want shouldn’t be more important than what you want._

_Chara, be honest with me. Do you want to leave the ruins?_

_*... Yes._

_I’m scared too. About what Toriel said. But I can’t stay here forever. I want to leave the ruins soon._

_* Aren’t you happy here?_

_.... I was happy. I thought that happiness could last forever. I wanted it to last forever. I thought I could be part of a family again. But I can’t. I just can’t…._

_* Frisk, you want to stay here._

_What? No, I…_

_* Frisk, you don’t have to lie to me._

_It’s just… You mean a lot to me Chara. I don’t want you to live these days where you just wonder about what has happened._

_* Frisk, I want you to be happy. You matter more than me._

_And I want to make you happy. The happiness I share with you and Toriel is truly special and unique, and I want to cherish it forever._

_* Let’s come to a compromise. You stay with Toriel, while also asking her about the underground everyday. Then, we get the truth layered on with your happiness._

_But wouldn’t it be bett-_

_* No, it wouldn’t. Make this compromise with me._

_… I agree to your compromise._

_* Frisk, you’re allowed to think about what you want sometimes._

_But that’s selfish._

_* Frisk, I’m not happy if you’re not happy. Happiness should be a two-way street._

_I just thought…_

_* I’m going to stop you right there. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not right._

Frisk put the history book back on the shelf and wandered back to their room, collapsing in their bed, sighing.

* _Don’t feel bad, okay?_

_I can’t help it! I feel selfish…_

_* Frisk, there is nobody I know more selfless than you. I wanted to make that compromise, alright? Don’t regret anything._

_Can you promise me something?_

_*... What is it?_

_Promise me you’ll tell me if something is wrong._

_* I can’t promise that. No way._

_Then promise me you’ll tell me if you feel unhappy with what I’m doing._

_* .... I promise._

_Good. Thank you, Chara._

_* Never change, Frisk._

As Chara’s form dissipated, Frisk stared up at the ceiling. They felt conflicted, but simultaneously reassured. They looked back at where Chara’s form used to be.

_“I hope this was this right thing to do."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this chapter being a little late, been busy as of late.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it though! Thanks for reading!


End file.
